Travis County Marriage

The following information was found on the Travis County Clerk’s website here.

Marriage Licenses

The Travis County Clerk issues marriage licenses at the 5501 Airport Boulevard Office in Austin, Texas. Listed below are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions we receive from couples ready to take this important step. If you need additional assistance, please contact us at (512) 854-9188.

Marriage License Waiting Period

There is a required 3-day waiting period between the time a marriage license is obtained and the ceremony (Texas Family Code, Chapter 2, Section 2.204 ). The marriage ceremony may not take place during the 72-hour period immediately following the issuance of the marriage license unless an applicant:

Is a member of the armed forces of the United States and on active duty,

Performs work for the United States Department of Defense as an employee or contract worker,

Obtains a written waiver from a judge of a court with jurisdiction in family law cases, a justice of the supreme court, a judge of the court of criminal appeals, a county judge, or a judge of a court of appeals, or

Completes a premarital education course described by Texas Family Code Section 2.013 and provides the County Clerk with a course completion certificate indicating completion of the course within one year of the date the marriage license application is filed with the Clerk.

Marriage License Expiration

A marriage license is valid for 89 days from the date it is issued. A marriage license expires if it has not been used before the 90th day after it was issued. If a couple wishes to marry after the expiration date, a new license must be purchased.

Persons Authorized to Conduct Marriage Ceremonies

In Texas, the following persons are authorized to conduct marriage ceremonies:

A person who is an officer of a religious organization and who is authorized by the organization to conduct a marriage ceremony, or

A justice of the supreme court, judge of the court of criminal appeals, justice of the courts of appeals, judge of the district, county, and probate courts, judge of the county courts at law, judge of the courts of domestic relations, judge of the juvenile courts, retired justice or judge of those courts, justice of the peace, retired justice of the peace, judge of a municipal court, retired judge of a municipal court, or judge or magistrate of a federal court of this state, or retired judge or magistrate of a federal court of this state.

A person meeting the above requirements does not need to apply for permission to marry couples and does not need to register with the County Clerk.

Steps in Obtaining a Marriage License

The couple must bring the following to the Travis County Clerk’s Airport Boulevard location (not the Travis County Courthouse):Proof of identity and age using documents approved by state law. These may include an official copy of the applicant’s birth certificate, a driver’s license or state-issued identification card, or an approved document issued by Texas or another state, the United States, or a foreign government (i.e., passport, visa, military identification, etc.). For more proof of identity and age options, please call our office at (512) 854-9188.

The Social Security Number of each applicant (if the applicant has one). Applicants do not need to show a Social Security Card.

If divorced, and the divorce was finalized within the previous 30 days, an applicant must provide a certified copy of the divorce decree which states that the 30-day waiting period has been waived.

If a previously-divorced applicant wishes to use her maiden name, she will need to provide identification showing that maiden name (such as a certified copy of her birth certificate or a certified copy of her divorce decree that states her name is to be changed).

At the Clerk’s Office, the couple will complete a marriage license application and pay the $81.00 license fee.Note: The Texas Twogether Program allows applicants to waive a portion of the marriage license fee if they complete a premarital education course and provide a certificate that the course was completed not more than one year before the date of the marriage license.Additionally, a member of the National Guard on federal active duty, or a member of the armed forces of the United States on active duty, who is preparing to be deployed to serve in a hostile fire zone as designated by the United States Secretary of Defense is exempt from marriage license fees.

Following the ceremony, the person authorized to conduct the service must date, sign, and note the county where the ceremony occurred on the certificate. The marriage license must then be returned to the Travis County Clerk’s Office within 30 days from the ceremony date. Once the office receives the license, it will be copied and filed and the original will be returned to you.

A great marriage is not when the ‘perfect couple’ comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences. –Dave Meurer

Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same. –Wuthering Heights

In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine. –Maya Angelou

You don’t marry one person; you marry three: the person you think they are, the person they are, and the person they are going to become as a result of being married to you. –Richard Needham